The Best Mani-Pedi Hacks Do It Yourself and Look great all summer

Your finger and toe nails are part of your skin, and they need proper care in order to look good—but you don’t need to spend a lot of time and you certainly can save a lot of money by taking care of them yourself. Here are some tips to get them looking great in just a few minutes.

Some stuff you’ll need from the drugstore:

• Polish remover (if you have polish on your nails).
• Cotton balls for the polish remover
• A wooden manicure stick or other gentle tool to push back cuticles. Optional: A cuticle trimmer to remove dead skin around cuticles.
•  Gentle nail file (medium-fine grit) and clippers if you have a lot of nail length to shorten.
• Nail scrubbing brush
• A 3-way buffing block with different labeled sides (there are many different brands. Get one with a gritty side, a smooth side, and a side that feels like slick rubber.
• Oil for the cuticles—or you can use sesame or grapeseed oil from the supermarket, or Emu Oil
• Hand/body lotion

Here’s the Hack:

1. Remove all polish from nails and wash hands/feet thoroughly.
2. Clip and file nails to desired length—do not use harsh nail files, but a fine-grit file for a smooth finish.
3. Soak nails in warm water to soften cuticles, then push back gently. If any dead skin is hanging, use cuticle clippers to remove, but try to avoid cutting any healthy cuticle because the cuticles protects the nails from infections.
4. Scrub under the nails to remove dirt and debris
5. Buff nails with the multi-sided buffer block: Start with the roughest side to file down ridges, smooth with the fine-grit side, and finish with the smooth “rubbery” side to buff to a high shine. If you have purchased a labeled block, the names printed on it will guide you which one to start and finish with.
6. Massage oil into the nails and cuticles and then apply hand lotion.

That’s all there is to it!

If you like the shine that a buffer gives you—great! You’re done: Clean, lovely natural and shiny nails have emerged from those simple steps. If you want to put on color, wait a couple of hours to allow the oil to soak in, then remove excess oils on the nails with a good washing or witch hazel on a cotton ball to prepare the nails for polish.

Always use a good base coat to protect your natural nails from becoming stained or yellowing, which will happen if you apply color directly to the natural nail.

Note: Have you neglected your nails all winter? For a really intensive hand and foot treatment, read how to give yourself a quick and deeply therapeutic hand and Foot Regime in The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin.

Here are some products you might like to compliment your manicure/pedicure:

• Emu Oil for the Cuticles
• Hyaluronic Serum: Use for extra hydration power for dry skin
• Diamond Dermabrasion: For exfoliating rough, dry skn your hands and feet. *use this to wash your hand or feet before beginning the other manicure/pedicure steps.
• Start using Triple Treat 25% Body Lotion daily on your feet to keep the buildup of dead skin to a minimum.

Where can I buy Dana's Book?

The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin, available as a Kindle download or Buy paperback to buy your paperback copy from Platinum Skin Care. You can also read the first chapter--FREE--by click here to read 1st chapter.

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